1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispenser for attachment to a wall or other vertical surface; and, more particularly, to a dispenser for dispensing paste products such as toothpaste, gel, shaving or hand creams from a thin, plastic, biodegradable bag. Further, the invention may be utilized with a range of sizes of currently existing standard collapsible tubes by attachment of a special screw-on-cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dispensers of the prior art are numerous and varied, but all have been designed for use with tubes which have a certain rigidity when filled. Most require outflow adapters to be fitted to the threaded nozzle of the tube within the dispenser. The bag of the present invention containing product has no rigidity when filled and, therefore, requires a special nozzle retaining device which may be easily fitted prior to attaching the nozzle cap to the threaded nozzle. This establishes the present invention as new with regard to prior art, but as it is also capable for use with a range of sizes of standard product tubes in current use.
Most of the prior art paste dispensers employ internally threaded adapters of a predetermined size and thread to screw onto the threaded nozzle of a tube after it has been passed through the body of the dispenser housing. Few have attempted to address or successfully resolve the problem of tubes presenting nozzles of different lengths, diameters, and threads. These size variations have caused annoyance to many purchasers and severely limited their market potential as tube nozzles of different manufacturers vary considerably in both size and thread.
The following prior art devices embody adapters to fit only onto tubes of predetermined size or thread:
a. Hitzler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,042,098, which relies on a slot of predetermined size, to receive the neck of a tube; PA1 b. Messer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,984, relies on a circular locknut of predetermined size and thread to fit the threaded neck of the tube; PA1 c. Arquelles, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,681, presents an internally threaded sleeve of predetermined size and thread to fit the screw threaded end of the tube; PA1 e. Ogden, U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,118, appears to require a head (not shown) and an orifice prepared to receive a nozzle of predetermined size and thread; PA1 f. Willey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,473, relies on an internally threaded adapter boss to fit only predetermined threaded nozzles; PA1 g. Hughes, British Pat. No. 600,859; Secling, British Pat. No. 820,200; and Bromage, British Pat. No. 1,202,703, all rely on adapters to fit nozzles of only one size and thread; PA1 h. Tripoli, U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,111, seeks to address the problem of varying sized nozzles and threads by presenting an adapter which screws into the internal diameter of the tube nozzle. This reduces the outflow aperture by more than fifty percent; PA1 i. White, U.S. Pat. No. 2,087,712, attempts to resolve the problem of different threaded nozzles by providing a dispensing head of relatively hard metal with an internal thread tapering inwardly and downwardly. However, it is necessary to twist the tube into the head, effective cutting a suitable thread. This solution is theoretically possible in the White design as the tube was not totally enclosed, but was visible and accessible to be held and even turned. The practicality of type of head member is dubious as it seems that upon turning the tube to effect firm engagement of the threaded nozzle in the dispensing head, the closed end of the tube is not in correct alignment to be inserted into the slot of the winder key. Further, it is not possible to use such a head member in a dispenser which completely encloses the paste-containing tube.
d. Tripoli, U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,370, embodies a disc of predetermined size and thread;
It will, therefore, be appreciated that there remains a need for an improved dispenser of material from compressible tubes which is simple and inexpensive to produce, easy to use, and widens market acceptability by being capable of use with all known tubes containing toothpaste. The present invention meets these criteria as well as that for the purpose of which it has been specifically designed.